CHAPEA Crew Leaves a Mark
Photos of the CHAPEA Mission 2 crew are arranged around a boot print in the simulated Martian sand outside their habitat.
Category: Science
The Case for a Bubble at Life’s Start
This explainer is part of Quanta Magazine’s Origins of Life Week. Check back throughout the week for more stories about one of science’s biggest unknowns.
Gravity can reconnect like the sun’s magnetic field, a fresh look at Einstein’s equations reveals
Magnetic reconnection — the process behind the sun’s most violent outbursts — may have a counterpart in gravity. According to a new theoretical study, sheet-like
ZWO Seestar S30 Plus review
ZWO has just released the newest member of its smart telescope range: the Seestar S30 Plus. This all-in-one smart telescope is designed for beginners and
‘The first species we might be able to communicate with, interact with vocally, might be a bird’: An animal researcher explains how she decoded birdsong
Bird calls are far more than pleasant sounds in nature. They are complex forms of communication that can reveal how birds think, learn, cooperate and
Science to restore speech is moving fast. Here’s what’s next
As neurotechnology aims to restore seamless speech to those who can no longer talk, what’s next for the science, and for the people it promises
Toxic secrets are hiding in Arctic ice
Toxic metals can harm human health. Arctic ice cores trace arsenic, lead and other heavy metals to historic mining and smelting in Montana.
Highly active Russian volcano plays peek-a-boo with an astronaut
QUICK FACTS Where is it? Atlasov Island, off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula [50.84755357, 155.56126752] What’s in the photo? The summit of Alaid volcano
Fossil fuel emissions are down in 2026. Green energy isn’t the reason
It’s not quite a victory for humanity’s transition to renewables. The dip is probably driven by high gas prices from the Iran war.
Iran war helps fuel global drop in fossil fuel emissions — but there’s a catch
The world’s carbon emissions from oil, gas and coal are projected to decrease by 0.4% this year, driven partly by the expansion of solar and
Nazca infant had rare, fatal birth defect that left her with one central eye 1,600 years ago
Archaeologists in Peru have discovered the skeleton of an infant with a rare birth defect that left only one central eye socket in the child’s
Did human sacrifice help lower violence? New research in Peru leaves intriguing question
Despite engaging in human sacrifice, the people who lived in the Lambayeque Valley of northern Peru had low levels of violence, a new study of
Astronauts Across Generations Share the Stage
On Nov. 6, 2026, Purpose Entertainment hosted the Artemis Celebration Gala at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida. Held on the
Did Life Begin in an RNA World?
This explainer is part of Quanta Magazine’s Origins of Life Week. Check back throughout the week for more stories about one of science’s biggest unknowns.